This book chapter provides a compilation of the results from several reports about the Portland Crime Prevention Bureau and other Impact Cities programs that took place between 1974 and 1977.
The author of this chapter provides a summary of a Portland, Oregon, neighborhood-based burglary reduction and prevention program that was implemented in 1973. The chapter provides a background and description of the burglary prevention program, an evaluation of the purpose and methodology, a description of the data sources, a description of the research design for similar crime prevention programs, and a discussion of the effects of the Portland burglary prevention program. Program effects included: participating homes had lower burglary rates than those than those that did not participate; official burglary rates obtained from the Portland police department indicate an increase in burglaries during the time period of the research; and recovery rates for stolen items was low, although bicycles appeared to have an improved chance of recovery if they had been engraved. Noted policy implications include that evidence suggested that the program had positive impacts and that emphasis on neighborhood rather than individual protection was important for crime prevention.